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NEW YORK — With a powerful efficiency on a memorable evening in Padres historical past, Joe Musgrove introduced this one dwelling for San Diego and actually caught it to the New York Mets.
The best-hander disregarded chants of “Cheater!” after a weird spot examine by umpires on the mound, pitching his hometown Padres into the subsequent spherical of the playoffs Sunday with seven innings of one-hit ball in a 6-0 victory over the listless Mets.
“He was on a mission immediately,” San Diego supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned.
Trent Grisham hit an RBI single and made a terrific catch in middle subject that helped the Padres take the best-of-three Nationwide League wild-card sequence 2-1. Austin Nola and Juan Soto every had a two-run single.
San Diego superior to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five Division Collection starting Tuesday — guaranteeing the Padres will play in entrance of their dwelling followers within the postseason for the primary time in 16 years after they return to Petco Park for Sport 3.
“Cannot wait to get again there. They deserve it,” Melvin mentioned.
It was the fifth time the Padres have received a playoff sequence. They took a first-round matchup in opposition to St. Louis in their very own ballpark with no followers permitted after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season earlier than being swept within the Division Collection by the eventual World Collection champion Dodgers.
For the Mets, a scintillating season ended with a whimper at dwelling in entrance of empty seats. Baseball’s greatest spenders received 101 video games – the second-most in franchise historical past – however had been unable to carry off Atlanta within the NL East after sitting atop the division for all however six days.
New York was up by 10 1/2 video games on June 1 and 7 on Aug. 10 earlier than lastly ceding management final weekend. The defending World Collection champions snatched away their fifth consecutive division title and a first-round playoff bye on the energy of a head-to-head sweep in Atlanta – and the Mets by no means absolutely recovered.
Max Scherzer bought rocked in a Sport 1 loss to San Diego and, after New York received Sport 2 behind Jacob deGrom to stave off elimination, they mustered nearly nothing in opposition to Musgrove and completed with one lonely hit.
No. 3 starter Chris Bassitt lasted simply 4 innings, giving up three runs and three hits with three pricey walks to batters close to the underside of the order.
Pete Alonso’s leadoff single within the fifth and Starling Marte’s stroll to begin the seventh had been the one baserunners permitted by Musgrove in his first postseason begin.
Robert Suarez and Josh Hader completed up for the Padres with excellent aid.
“They flat-out beat us,” Alonso mentioned.
Musgrove grew up a Padres fan within the San Diego suburbs and pitched the franchise’s first no-hitter final 12 months in his second begin with the group.
He was engaged on a one-hitter and warming up for the sixth inning Sunday when Mets supervisor Buck Showalter got here out of the dugout and spoke to first base umpire Alfonso Marquez.
All six umps huddled after which went to the mound as Marquez, the crew chief, felt Musgrove’s glove, cap – even his ears — apparently looking for any unlawful sticky substances.
“I’ve seen him do it earlier than, checking the pitcher,” Musgrove mentioned. “I get it, dude. They’re on their final leg, they’re determined, they’re doing every part they’ll to get me out of the sport.”
Musgrove mentioned Marquez concluded “`There’s nothing on there.'”
Umpires let Musgrove proceed, and he labored a 1-2-3 sixth punctuated by a pointed gesture towards the New York dugout.
“It motivated me a little bit bit, man. It fired me up,” he mentioned.
The spin charge was up on all six of Musgrove’s pitches.
“Now we have aware about a variety of issues. I really like him as a pitcher – all the time have,” Showalter mentioned. “I am not moving into a variety of issues.
“I do not need to harm someone’s emotions,” he added. “I’ve bought to do what’s finest for the New York Mets and our gamers.”
Followers yelled “Cheater!” at Musgrove, a member of the 2017 Houston Astros World Collection champions that had been discovered by Main League Baseball to have stolen indicators illegally to assist their hitters.
“Joe Musgrove is a person of character,” Melvin mentioned. “Questioning his character, I’ve an issue with.”
The Astros’ dishonest scandal rocked the game. Musgrove has mentioned he feels uncomfortable carrying his championship ring and desires “one which feels earned” with the Padres.
“I assure Musgrove has Crimson Sizzling on his ears,” Milwaukee outfielder Andrew McCutchen tweeted. “Pitchers use it as mechanism to remain locked in throughout video games. It burns like loopy and IDK why some guys thinks it helps them however by no means is it `sticky.′ Buck is wise tho. May very well be attempting to simply throw him off.”
THINKING OF MR. PADRE
Throughout batting apply, San Diego second baseman Jake Cronenworth wore an old-school Tony Gwynn No. 19 uniform T-shirt, a giveaway at Petco Park in the future this season.
“All of us bought ’em,” Cronenworth mentioned. “Often a variety of us put on ’em, however I feel everyone’s carrying hoodies immediately.”
Cronenworth, nevertheless, figured this was a day to salute the late Padres Corridor of Famer.
“It was simply in my locker and I introduced it with me for a cause, so I made a decision I would put on it,” he mentioned. “Tony was the most effective, so give us some assist from up above.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: All-Star 3B Manny Machado, who had an RBI single, limped again to the dugout after putting out within the ninth inning and gave the impression to be favoring a leg. He remained within the sport.
Mets: Francisco Lindor was shaken up after fouling a ball off the within of his proper knee within the fourth. Because the star shortstop was checked by an athletic coach, Showalter strolled to the plate, picked up Lindor’s bat and handed it again to him. Lindor stayed within the sport and struck out.
UP NEXT
San Diego went 5-14 in opposition to the first-place Dodgers this season and completed 22 video games behind them within the NL West.
New York begins its spring coaching schedule subsequent 12 months with split-squad video games Feb. 25 in opposition to Miami and Houston. The regular-season opener is March 30 at Miami.
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